28 Apr 2026
Photo by Christian Paul Stobbe A landmark study published in Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries has produced the first global inventory of fish species caught by bottom trawl fisheries — and the scale is striking. Researchers at the University of British Columbia documented nearly 3,000 species of marine fish caught by bottom trawls, drawn from 236 sources […]
31 Mar 2026
Photo by Ali Abdul Rahman More than 130 governments concluded a week of negotiations in Campo Grande, Brazil on 29 March, agreeing to extend new or upgraded international protections to 40 migratory species at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS CoP15). The marine outcomes […]
17 Mar 2026
Photo by Cláudio Luiz Castro Chilean President Gabriel Boric has signed a decree granting full protection to 360,000km² of waters surrounding the Juan Fernández Archipelago and the Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park – one of his final acts before leaving office on 11 March. Once fully implemented, the designation will bring the total fully protected area […]
10 Mar 2026
Photo by Markus Spiske The UK government is cutting hundreds of millions of pounds in climate and nature aid to developing countries, with NGOs warning that flagship ocean and biodiversity programmes, including the £500 million Blue Planet Fund, are now at risk. Freedom of Information requests, reported by the Guardian, have revealed reductions in spending […]
20 Jan 2026
Photo by Jakob Owens The High Seas Treaty officially entered into force on 17 January 2026, marking a historic milestone for global ocean protection. However, the UK remains excluded from decision-making as Parliament has yet to ratify the landmark agreement despite being one of the first countries to sign it in 2023. The treaty, […]
18 Nov 2025
Photo by Soren Funk Scientists have analysed 10,000 marine animal autopsies to understand how plastic ingestion leads to death, revealing the surprisingly small amounts needed to kill wildlife. The study found seabirds face extreme risk after swallowing just 23 pieces of plastic, giving them a 90% chance of dying. Marine mammals reach similar danger at 29 pieces, whilst […]
16 Sep 2025
Photo by Christian Paul The World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) long-awaited agreement aimed at curbing harmful fisheries subsidies has entered into force. The deal — struck after more than two decades of negotiation — prohibits subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as well as those supporting fishing in overfished stocks. At a special […]
16 Sep 2025
Photo by Arvind Vallabh Marine scientists have successfully rescued deep-sea corals from decommissioned North Sea oil platforms and relocated them to artificial reefs, pioneering a revolutionary approach to preserving ancient marine ecosystems. The groundbreaking project, led by Professor Murray Roberts of the University of Edinburgh, represents a dramatic shift from the previous practice of sending […]
